Whisk Group, a new Washington-based restaurant management and operations company, opened the gastropub Againn on October 27 in Penn Quarter. Designed by Peter Hapstak of D.C.-based design firm CORE, the 5,600-square-foot venue has a modern, industrial look with the traditional British pub accents. Bright and spacious, Againn features floor-to-ceiling exterior glass walls that open onto the street.
Just inside the entrance is the snug eight-seat Scotch Locker Room, a private dining area with a wood dining table, vinyl-covered stools, and the annual-rent lockers that give the room its name. A row of 10 wooden booths divides the 120-seat dining room from the 19-seat bar, which has a menu of 80 whiskeys, including 40 Scotches.
The carpeted 14-seat private dining room has leather paneled walls, glass-enclosed wine storage, and a view of the kitchen. Amenities include velvet-covered, nail-studded wingback dining chairs and a 37-inch flat-screen TV.
Executive chef Wesley Morton sources organic and local produce and certified humane-handled meats for his menu of modern pub fare. Entrees include cast-iron-roasted hanger steak with marrow and pork belly with heirloom apples, cabbage, and crackling.
Againn is the first restaurant for the Whisk Group, which has additional ventures planned on the West coast and in the Middle East.
